Golfing club and appliance.



P-ATENTED 0017.17,10o5. J. R. BROWN. LYING CLUB AND APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.4.1905. v

2 sasms-suzm 1.

ll/J area W UNITED sTA rns- PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17. 1W5.

Application filed January 4, 1905. Serial No. 239,647.

To all whom it "ta-y concern."

Be it known that 1, James Ross BROWN, shipsmith, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Montrose, Scotland, haveinventcd certain new and useful In1 provements in Golfing Clubs and Appliances, (for which a patent has been applied for in Great Britain. No. 1,045, bearing the date January 15, 1904,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improved devices which can be fitted in connection with the handles of golf-clubs or be attached to special handles or rods with the object of being able to grip or lift the balls from the ground, turf, ditches, and the like or in removing balls from the holes after putting and placing on the turf for the next drive without the necessity of the player stooping; and in order that others skilled in the art may understand how my invention maybe carried into practice I have hereunto appended two sheets ofexplanatorydrawings,in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the top end of a golf-club having my appliances fitted thereto. Fig. 2 is a face view in perspective of a putter golf-club with the appliances fitted thereto corresponding to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation corresponding to Fig. 1,

but showing details of the appliances slightly modified; and Fig. 4 is a back view in perspectiveot' a putter golf-club with the appliances fitted thereto corresponding to Fig. 3.-

' Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation correspond ng to Fig. 3, but slightlyinodifigd in detail, while Fig. 6 represents a sectionalelevatienmand plan view of a slotted cap which may be fitted on the top end of the golf-club, as in Fig. 5. Figs. 7 and 8 are elevations of a modified arrangement of the appliances; and Fig. 9 is a view in perspective, illustrating how the appliances are used on the putting-green of a golf-course.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the handle or shaft which 1 preferably attach the devices to is the metal or wooden putter A. The devices would consist of a tube B, of steel, aluminium, orother suitable metal or material. The wooden shaft A of the club would be made much shorter than usual, and the lower end of the tube B would be attached to its upper end, preferably by fitting over same socketwise, and beingsecured by a pin or rivet a or by screw-threaded or other suitable couplings, and the outer surface of the tube would be covered over with facings B of wound-on leather or the like to take the place of the leather coverings on the buttends of the ordinary wooden shafts. \Vithin this tube B, I fit a series of spring-arms 0, preferably of curved blade-steel and preferably three in number, of equidistantspaces in tripod fashion, connected at their inner ends or formed in one piece with a central longitudinal stem 0'. A sleeve or cap D would be soldered inside the tube B, as shown in Fig. 1, or be made removable, as in Figs. 5 and 6, and fitted over or screwed or otherwise attached to the upper or outer end f the tube B, and this cap would be formed with a series of holes or slits (.Zon top at equidistant spaces corresponding to the number of blade-springs Cused. A vertical slot E would be formed in the side of tube B, witha horizontal or angled notched part E near its upper end, and a pin 1), with button-head I), would pass inwardly through this slot E and have its inner end attached to the end part of the longitudinal stem C. A helical or like spring F would be coiled round the 'rod (3 and be held in compression between the collar G on rod C and a fixed collar G within the tube B. The outer ends of the spring-arms 0 would be formed or fitted'with curled or other suitably-shaped beads C for more effectually gripping the ball and preventingithe ends being drawn too far within the tube B. The slotted holes d in the outer cap D act as guides on the springlegs C of tripod, so as to make them expand on being pushed out and when being pulled in make them contract to fit within the tube B.

In using the apparatus, as shown in Figs.

ltrnd fil the pin 6 is by the hand of the player slid up untililrengages with the horizontal or angled notch at the uppeepartef the-ver 'gs f tical slot E, and by this movement the spring tripod-arms C are slid out through the holes d in cap D into the position for gripping the ball. These arms C by their curled ends 0" spring out and grip the ball and remove it from the putting-hole Z without the player having to stoop downward, and the ball can then be either removed by hand from them, or by sliding the pin 6 to the top E of vertical slot E the ball can be relieved and deposited on the teeing-ground, while by letting go the pin 6 from top of slot or from notch E the recoil action of the helical spring will automatically withdraw an; sheath the tripodarms C within the housing-tube B.

In the modified arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the tripod spring-arms Care IIO l i l continued as rods 0 a, the one, 1', acting as a central guiding-rod and the other. 0', being formed with a coiled or button projection c". A helical spring F is coiled round these rods 0 v and held between a collarf on rods and a fixed hollow collar or abutment f". inside the tube B. \Vhen the spring-arms C are placed inside the tube B. the rods 0 0 are in the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3. and the bent or button end 0 projects out through a slot 1). formed in tube B, and holds the arms in this position until released by the player pressing the end e within the tube B, when the recoil action of the spring F will automatically press the arms C without the tube to the position shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 7 and in dotted lines in Fig. 1, ready for picking up a ball from a golf-hole, while by simply pressing down the top end of the club on the ground the arms will be pressed within the tube B and be automatically fixed therein by the catch 6" in the slot 6 In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 a pro: jecting button or tooth It is formed on one of the arms C and ismade to engage through a slot 11 at the outer end of the tube B to hold the arms C within the tube B, while by pressing in the button la the arms C are again released and automatically pressed out by the spring F for lifting a ball.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 7 and 8 a wooden handle B is shown instead of a tube. In this handle grooves E are formed for the blades C to work in. and these blades C are connected to a sliding ferrule or collar If outside the handle, so that by pushing out the latterthe tripml-blades U are pushed out to grip the ball and on drawing the ferrule I) inward the blades are drawn back and housed within the grooved shaft B. These tripodblades C are so tempered as to have the requisite spring to take the proper curved shape when pushedoutside the housingshaft 3 and fit over the ball and grip the same, as above described. I I

W hat I claim is'- l. A golfing applianeehavinga hollow end, spring-arms for gripping golf-balls, and means in said hollow end for sheathing said arms therein.

2. A golf-club having a hollow handle and three spring-: arms adapted to be sheathed within said hollow handle, a spring within" the latter and means to compress said spring and force out the said arms.

3. A gelling appliance having ahollow end and three spring-arms adapted to be sheathed within said hollow end, a spring within the latter and means to-eompress said spring and force out said arms.

4. A golf--club having a hollow handle, spring arms for' gripping golf halls, and means to sheath said arms within said hollow handle. g

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesseS- JAMES ROSS BROWN.

\Vitnesses:

Joan C. H'Iooms, ALLAN Bax'rnn. 

